Is it ever OK to let suckers (basal shoots) grow from stumps? (flowers, growing)

[christiner81]

I know usually if you chop down a tree you don't want any growth coming back. I have an unusual situation, in that the house we recently bought had a beautiful flower garden for about 10 years, and then the owners before us lived here a year and did weird things with the yard. They let some things grow wild and un-pruned, and also completely removed a lot of plants in the yard. Some they replaced with odd items that are now struggling.

There is evidence of a small tree/large shrub that was cut. The trunk is about 2.5 inches in diameter. There is now a shoot that is maybe 18 inches tall growing from it. I have no idea what it is. Is it harmful or bad practice to let this grow? Can it possibly ever replace what was there before or will it always be small/scraggly? I'll see if I can get a picture of it so you guys can help me figure out what it is.

[jacqueg]

Short answer is yes, basal suckers can replace the original tree. I have whacked off large shrubs and ugly trees with the express intention of renewing them. Because the root system is already mature, the new growth is usually very quick to grow tall and fill out. Not all woody plants respond well to this treatment, but many do.

I don't recognize your tree.

[jacqueg]

ooops

[jackmichigan]

It's fine to let it grow--it happens in nature all of the time. Just figure out what it is and then decide what you want to do with it. (Sorry, I'm not sure what it is.)

[luv4horses]

A sucker coming from the stem/stalk/trunk of a tree will always suffer by having a weak structural base since no roots or earth can help support it in bad weather. It will potentially break off either completely or partially with the otherwise healthy piece laying in the mud.

If the new piece is from a plant that normally does this all the time, and is fast growing, it may not be something you want anyway.

However, if you want to 'give it a chance', you could cut it off and stick it in the ground to see whether it would root properly, but if it was me, I would just eliminate it unless I knew it was something really special.

[Isleofpalms85]

Well, apparently basal shoots came up from what was once a Nellie R Stevens Holly Shrub in a restaurant parking lot in indianapolis, the darn thing had been killed to the ground over the winter of 2013/2014, and what was once a 5 to 6 foot tall shrub is now less than 3 foot tall at the tallest shoot. It will be interesting to see what this winter has in store for indianapolis, as this will determine whether the stump sprouts even survive.

[christiner81]

Thanks for all the replie! I ended up digging it out. It turns out it was not a shrub, it was a tree and it was closer to the house than I would have ever wanted a tree. I also wanted the space to put something else

[takecarefor]

Yes nice thing you did by digging it out. Why not to go for stump removal completely? You can remove it through burning, griding or using chemicals

[North 42]

It's a flowering Dogwood, Cornus Florida, one of my favourite flowering small trees. I would let it grow and enjoy it's beautiful flowers and striking fall foliage colour!

Edit: oops, just saw that you dug it out!

[jordanso]

We cut an unhealthy apple tree down leaving a stump that is 6" high x 12" across. Out of a crack in the centre of it, sprouted an Amur Chokecherry (seeded from the one in our neighbour's yard, I'm guessing.) It is a lovely tree and about 6' high now.
We would like to keep it and let it grow tall. Do you think that it is a lost cause with the stump encasing base?